Monthly culture: December 2017
Tuesday, January 9th, 2018 08:15 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tamaranth09DEC17: Antony and Cleopatra (Shakespeare), RSC, Barbican
A mercurial Cleopatra (Josette Simon is amazing) and a pragmatic Antony. I studied this play for A level, thought I knew it well, didn't.
14DEC17: Belshazzar's Feast, Cecil Sharp House
Folk duo doing terrible, wonderful things: 'So Here It Is, Merry Christmas' to the tune of the Coventry Carol; musical consequences based on traditional folk songs ('The Archbishop met Faithless Nancy Dawson at Drapers' Gardens ...'). Very funny, plus always a delight to see two musicians communicating non-verbally.
15DEC17: The Last Jedi, Odeon Leicester Square
I liked the man playing the Wurlitzer at the beginning (Imperial March, of course). And it was nice to be part of an enthusiastic crowd -- much cheering and laughter. The film was very prettily shot and had some interesting female characters: there were plenty of uplifting moments among the chases and fights, but the only moment that really affected me was 'in memory of our princess' in the credits.
16DEC17: Hamilton, Victoria Palace Theatre
I had expected to find it interesting: I hadn't expected to be so engaged, but I was wholly focussed on the production throughout. (There was more variety, musically, than I'd expected, too -- if only I had found the soundtrack half as listenable as the live performance, I might have realised this!) Great costumes, well-lit; excellent choreography; some very strong performances -- Angelica in particular had an amazing voice. And King George a delight.
Left me with a strong desire to reread Francis Spufford's Golden Hill, which has very little in common with Hamilton at all.
19DEC17: 'Glory to the Christ Child', The Sixteen, Cadogan Hall
Gentle Christmas / Nativity-themed music, beautifully sung with precise and gorgeous harmonies: some of it was quite modern. I was not wholly in the mood, being (a) immersed in Ada Palmer's The Will to Battle and (b) having been ruined forever for the Carol of the Bells by listening to the H P Lovecraft Choral Society version.
A mercurial Cleopatra (Josette Simon is amazing) and a pragmatic Antony. I studied this play for A level, thought I knew it well, didn't.
14DEC17: Belshazzar's Feast, Cecil Sharp House
Folk duo doing terrible, wonderful things: 'So Here It Is, Merry Christmas' to the tune of the Coventry Carol; musical consequences based on traditional folk songs ('The Archbishop met Faithless Nancy Dawson at Drapers' Gardens ...'). Very funny, plus always a delight to see two musicians communicating non-verbally.
15DEC17: The Last Jedi, Odeon Leicester Square
I liked the man playing the Wurlitzer at the beginning (Imperial March, of course). And it was nice to be part of an enthusiastic crowd -- much cheering and laughter. The film was very prettily shot and had some interesting female characters: there were plenty of uplifting moments among the chases and fights, but the only moment that really affected me was 'in memory of our princess' in the credits.
16DEC17: Hamilton, Victoria Palace Theatre
I had expected to find it interesting: I hadn't expected to be so engaged, but I was wholly focussed on the production throughout. (There was more variety, musically, than I'd expected, too -- if only I had found the soundtrack half as listenable as the live performance, I might have realised this!) Great costumes, well-lit; excellent choreography; some very strong performances -- Angelica in particular had an amazing voice. And King George a delight.
Left me with a strong desire to reread Francis Spufford's Golden Hill, which has very little in common with Hamilton at all.
19DEC17: 'Glory to the Christ Child', The Sixteen, Cadogan Hall
Gentle Christmas / Nativity-themed music, beautifully sung with precise and gorgeous harmonies: some of it was quite modern. I was not wholly in the mood, being (a) immersed in Ada Palmer's The Will to Battle and (b) having been ruined forever for the Carol of the Bells by listening to the H P Lovecraft Choral Society version.
